Winter Hill Blues
Self-Released, 2022
8/10
Although he calls Boston home, the songwriter/guitarist Ryan Lee Crosby plays music that would reside perfectly in Mississippi, and influences from Africa and India won’t be hard to spot, either, across his Bentonia sound on this 8 track album.
“I’m Leaving” opens the listen with a cautious, rhythmic, bluesy spirit as animated guitar and punchy drums align with Crosby’s smooth singing, and “Winter Hill Blues” follows with a calmer approach of falsetto singing mixed with soft, intricate guitar playing that’s quite poetic.
Elsewhere, the southern ideas of “Eight Years Gone” brings both grit and melody that benefits much from hypnotic electric guitar, while “Going To Bentonia” moves sparsely, with a bit of soul mixed into the swagger.
“Slow Down” and “Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down” finish the listen, as the former is a bare, folksy, bluesy piece with just guitar and Crosby’s inimitable singing, and the latter welcomes percussion from Grant Smith into some hints towards the Delta blues.
A substantial listen that gets right to the core of the blues, whether Crosby is playing a stripped back tune or a fuller adventure, it’s a journey we can’t help but want to go along with.
Travels well with: Pete Mancini- Killing The Old Ways; Beverly ‘Guitar’ Watkins- In Paris!